HUNTINGDON, Pa.- After a longer than usual layoff, the Juniata field hockey team returned to the field on Wednesday night against Landmark rival Susquehanna at Knox Stadium. The Eagles showed very little rust as they shutout the Crusaders 3-0.
The win is JC's sixth in a row and increases its record to 7-4 overall and 3-0 in the Landmark. Susquehanna drops to 9-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
For almost nine and a half minutes of game time, neither team would record a shot. At the 9:39 mark, the Eagles got off their first shot and made it count. Sarah Bilheimer (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) raced downfield and fired a shot that bounced off Crusader goalkeeper Alyssa Rothman pads and into the cage to put Juniata ahead 1-0.
Less than five minutes later, JC stuck again. This time, it was Alex Stroud (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) passing off to Melissa Rutherford (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) for her fourth goal of the season.
In the second half, the Eagles enjoyed a 9-1 advantage in shots. In the 44th minute, Allison Groft (Hanover, Pa./South Western) sent a shot into the circle that Bilheimer picked up and blasted past Rothman for the 3-0 Juniata lead.
"We made the most of our opportunities tonight and communicated any changes we needed to make effectively," said head coach Caroline Gillich. "Sarah Bilheimer put in two nice goals and Melissa Rutherford is doing a great job on the forward line for us. She is one of those rare players that can play forward, mid and back. I couldn't be happier to see her exploding as a player in her senior season!"
Overall, the Eagles led in shots 11-1. Penalty corners were a little closer as the Eagles edged out the Crusaders 8-7.
"This team played a smart game," remarked Gillich. "We have so many players ready to be out there. Each one brings different strengths to our team and again, this is a great team win. Our attack made some impressive runs and finished well on cage. Our defense worked to re-create their layers so the pressure from Juniata was never ending. We did a nice job double-teaming tonight. We had a long stretch of practices, with lots to work on and I am excited to see our team come out of that with another shutout on the season."
Kylie Edwards (Danville, Pa./Danville) notched her first career shutout in goal for the Eagles. She had just one save on the night.
Juniata goes on the road this Saturday to face Elizabethtown. Game time will be at 1 p.m.
